


The guest

by Akemichan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dorks, Hotel Setting, In Italy because I can, Keith is a receptionist, M/M, Shiro is a guest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 07:03:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17259740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akemichan/pseuds/Akemichan
Summary: Keith is a receptionist at The Castle of Lions Hotel, with a big crush on one of the regular clients.Shiro is the regular client that isn't sure he can flirt with the receptionist or not.Let's see if they can confess their love within the year.





	The guest

Booking.com

Hotel Resort “The Castle of Lions”

It’s set in a 15-century Medici Villa on the Tuscany Hills, five kilometers from Pisa.

Four junior suites and one suite

Swimming pool + spa

Restaurant

Free parking

Ideal for events (wedding, etc)

-

The glass sliding doors of the main hall open as Keith enters. He finishes to tie his black cravat, gives a last look at the white shirt and black pants before strolling behind the reception desk with an, “hello, everyone”.

“You’re late, mullet,” Lance comments, keeping his eyes on the computer screen.

“I’m not-” He shots a glance to the lion shape clock of the main hall: it’s five past three. “You changed it!”

“I didn’t!”

“Allura! Lance changed the time of the clock. Again.”

She doesn’t stretch her head outside her office behind the reception desk. “No, it’s probably Pidge’s fault. She checked the battery this morning.”

Lance smiles triumphantly. “See?”

Keith snores. “This time.” He rolls up his sleeves. “Come on, enlighten me so you can leave and I won’t see your face anymore.”

“Okay.” Lance stops the remarks he was about to say, and that is outright suspicious. Keith turns his attention on the computer screen, carefully. “Four room occupied tonight, two check-ins. I did one this morning, so thank me.” Lance smirks. “You will handle only Mister Clear Day.”

Keith groans. “Fuck.”

“I dealt with him last time, so do not complain.”

“Language!” Allura’s voice comes from the office. “And please, stop speaking badly about one of our best and most affectionate clients.”

“And one of the most annoying,” Lance and Keith adds in synch.

“He’s not that bad,” Allura defends him. “At least he has never complained about our prices.”

“But he complains about everything else,” Lance points out, with Keith agreement. “Well, I’m out. Good luck.”

He needs it.

-

The clock – this time correctly – signs ten thirty. Another half an hour and Keith will be free. Mister Clear Day (as he was surnamed since he kept complaining about the weather) is out for dinner and hopefully, he won’t be back before the end of Keith’s turn.

He already complained that 1) the room was too hot 2) the hall was too cold 3) someone else parked in his favorite spot 4) he didn’t like the new design of the cups at the bar 5) Keith’s hair was too long for his taste and all in the first hour after his arrival.

Keith wouldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t place his knife on the reception desk next time Mister Clear Day opens his mouth.

And it is with a little concern he watches the sliding doors moving. The other clients are already in their rooms and they don’t expect any more clients. And the hotel is outside the traffic route, so walk-in are pretty unusual for them. Mister Clear Day is the only option remained.

Keith inhales sharply to focus… and a second later he finds his breath wipes away.

The person in the hall, looking around with a little bit of awe in his eyes, isn’t Mister Clear Day, but the most handsome man Keith has ever seen.

Incredibly tall, Asian features, with a face carved by Michelangelo himself, brilliant hazel eyes and a strange tuff of white hair that makes him adorable. His entire body is covered by a long white cardigan, that looks is about to tears apart against the force of the man’s muscles. His right hand is a little too still and, after a close look, the fact it’s a prosthetic one is clear, but why looking at it when one can look at… everything else that man has to offer.

“Good evening,” the man says, and even his voice is gorgeous.

But it activates Keith’s wake up call, and he shifts from his awkward state to a proper five stars front office agent. “Welcome to The Castle of Lions, sir. How may I help you?”

The man approaches the reception desk. “I saw on booking.com you still have a room available, but the price is a little too much for my company’s repayment, so I was wondering if you can offer me a little discount,” he says. He seems embarrassed. “I won’t normally ask for that, but the place I was supposed to stay lost my reservation and you’re the only hotel with a room available in twenty kilometers so…” he explains. “There are like… a congress and a big event altogether in the city and everything is full.”

“I see.” Keith isn’t informed about it, because The Castle of Lions is very far from the normal touristic and business route. He wonders how much the man wandering around before stumbling into them. “Let me check.”

When Allura left, she informed him she’d lowered the price hoping for a last minute reservation, even she wasn’t too much optimistic about it. The price was still pretty high, 250,00 Euros including breakfast and parking. After all, theirs is a five stars hotel set in a Medici Villa. They can’t undersell their rooms.

But it’s late, and Keith doubts he will have any chances to find another client willingly to pay that price.

“I can offer the room for 120 Euros.”

The man sighs. “Still a little too much for me, but it’s a big discount and, well, it sounds better than my plan B, so I take it.”

“Plan B?” Keith doesn’t refrain to ask.

“Sleeping in the car and the next gas station hoping I look too much desperate to avoid robbing attempt.”

That sounds definitely worse than sleeping in the room used by the wife of Lorenzo De’ Medici. “That bad?”

“Too late to keep searching for another hotel. I’m already very far from the place I have to go tomorrow.”

“What’s the amount of your company’s refund?”

“Sixty Euros. He’s the usual price for a single room at Galra’s hotel, just next to the highway,” the man adds, looking at Keith’s frown.

“Oh. It’s good?”

“It’s horrible. They don’t even have breakfast. Not even a bidet.”

“Ouch.” That is bad for an Italian hotel, even a cheap one.

“Yeah. Highly not recommended.”

“Well, we have both.” Keith smiles. “And, just for once, I’ll give you the room for sixty Euros.”

“What? No. You don’t have to do that…”

“I know, but… let’s consider it a one-night special promotion.”

The man’s face lightens, making him even more handsome. “Thank you so much, you really save me. Okay, so, you need my ID or… Eh.”

“Yes, your ID and the payment. You can park the car in the last free spot at the end of the corner. It’s included.”

“Oh. Great.” The man rustles in his cardigan’s pocket and takes the wallet. He places the ID and a credit card on the desk. “I’ll take my luggage.”

“Sure.”

When he returns, Keith has already inserted the reservation in the computer and made the payment. And taken a pretty good look at the man’s ID.

Takashi Shirogane.

Keith wonders if he born in Italy or he came here for work. His Italian is perfect though, like everything about him so far. No information about his work, but he isn’t married.

“Can you make an invoice with this address, please?” Shirogane lends him a visiting card. Galaxy Garrison Company, it says. Keith will surely check it later. For now, he tries to focus on his job.

He prints the invoice as Shirogane asked, he hands the key of the Black Lion Suite and explain the basic information about the hotel: lift, Wi-Fi password, place and timetable of breakfast.

“Thanks,” Shirogane says with a big smile. “Will you hate me if I ask for a more favor?”

“Of course not.” Keith clearly means it not only for courtesy.

“I spend the last two hours looking for a room and I didn’t have dinner, so I was wondering…”

“Oh. Sure.” Keith grabs the phone and presses the Hunk’s number. “I have a guest here and he’d like to eat.”

“I turned off everything like five minutes ago…”

“There’s absolutely nothing you can do? Pretty please?” he adds, voice lower. He knows he sounds a little bit desperate, but he isn’t going to let Shirogane starving.

“Just a sandwich will be fine,” Shirogane says, helpful. “Even a cold one.”

Hunk hears him through the phone. “No way I’d let a guest eat a cold sandwich. At least until I’m the chef here. Give him the menu while I turn everything on again.”

“You’re the best.”

“Are you sure this isn’t too much disturb?” Shirogane asks after Keith handed him the menu.

Keith shakes his head. “Hunk is one of the best chefs out there. Take the chance to try his food.”

Shirogane smiles. “Okay.”

Still, he orders only a main dish – grilled beef sliced with fried potatoes – and then, with another thanks and another smile, he leaves for his room. Keith returns to his work, wondering if the man he just served is real.

He gets his confirmation as Shirogane calls him from the room. Keith hurries to answer and he even forgets the standard sentence he’s supposed to say. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yes, it is…” Shirogane’s voice is a little stiff. “Are you sure this is my room?” He pauses. “It’s incredible. It looks bigger than my house and… Is… is the fresco on the ceiling real?”

Keith smiles. All their clients know how a Medici Villa looks like, but Shirogane is used to a motel on the highway. And he probably missed the sign that indicates the hotel is part of the Unesco World Heritage. He’s refreshing seeing someone so genuinely amazed by Medici’s architectures.

“Yes, it is the real deal.”

And he starts a small explanation about the origins of the villa and the meaning of the fresco in the Black Lion Room. He tries to make it short, but Shirogane seems so interesting Keith ends up describing the other rooms too, and Shirogane himself asks questions.

They cut the conversation only when Coran arrives to take over and both of them seems regretful to do so. Keith gives Coran only a few quick remarks about the hotel situation, before rushing to the kitchen. He waves a hand at Hunk, who’s finishing to plating Shirogane’s order, and grabs one of the trays.

“Room service?” Hunk asks, without receiving any answer.

Keith’s too busy organizing the tray at his best. Not only with cutlery, glass, and a bottle of water, but he also prepares a small plate with Hunk’s homemade biscuit and fruit salad bowl.

“How much did he tip you?” Hunk asks, as he adds the main dish to the tray, but he doesn’t stop Keith.

“No. I’m being kind with a new guest.”

“So he’s hot. I get it.”

Hunk shots him a meaningful look and Keith flushes. “I’m just being kind,” he repeats. Still, he leaves the kitchen as fast as he can without giving the impression he’s running away, tray in his hands.

The Shirogane that opens the door is even more handsome than the Shirogane from the hall. Maybe because he took off the cardigan and now, with only the white shirt, his muscles stun even more.

“I guess you may be a little tired and prefer rest in the room,” Keith explains, and then adds, “Free of charges.”

“No, it wasn’t…” Shirogane’s eyes scan the tray and his noise with the scar on it twists as he’s a stray cat. “I really have no word anymore to thank you, Keith.”

Keith’s heart misses a beat while he wonders how Shirogane can know his name. Then he realizes he’s an idiot – he has the name tag on his shirt. Still, Shirogane was attentive enough to notice it and remember. Keith can’t say the same for most of their regular guests.

Shirogane grabs the tray with his left hand. He looks uncertain. “Will I see you tomorrow morning?”

“No. You’ll find my colleague. He’s good with people. Better than me, actually.”

“Wow, I can’t imagine.” They remain a couple of seconds still, as if neither of them would leave, until Shirogane says, “Goodnight, then, Keith.”

“Goodnight, Mister Shirogane. Enjoy your stay.”

-

“Keith wants to get laid.”

Allura frowns at Lance’s sentence, wondering why that’s his welcome for her and why she should be interested in Keith’s sex life.

“I’m not sure how I should answer.”

Lance realizes the situation needs a little bit of explanation.

“He sold the Black Lion room for sixty Euros.”

“He what?!”

“Right? I mean, when Coran told me at the takeover I can’t believe it myself, and wondered if it was a mistake but of course not because Keith doesn’t make mistake, so I asked Hunk if something happened yesterday, like maybe a problem in another room or a complaint or something, but no, he told me Keith looked really smug and he also brought the room service to the room himself and probably the guest was hot. And man, he is. He did the check out with me a couple of hours ago and I felt I was blessed. And he wasn’t even an actor or a model, can you believe it? Man, actors would die to have what that man has. I’m still not sure that muscles are real-”

“Okay, stop.” Allura rubs her temples. “Hotness shouldn’t be the reason to give away our best room for only sixty Euros. What about the sacred rule to not sell lower than at least one hundred?”

“Ask Keith’s dick.”

“Gross.” Pidge stretches her head out of the reception desk. “Please tell me something catastrophic happened in one of the room so I have an excuse to run at work and pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Allura looks at the repair log. “No, everything’s working fine.”

“Dammit.”

“Plus, if I heard it, you have too.”

Lance is happy to oblige. “Can you believe Keith sold our best room trying to get laid?”

Allura groans. “At least let’s hope he’ll give us a good review on Tripadvisor.”

“Let’s hope he didn’t review Keith,” Pidge corrects her.

-

Tripadvisor.com

The Castle of Lion Hotel – 1st of 55 hotel around Pisa

User: tshirogane, Rome (1 review until now)

Review left today

5/5 stars

“The most amazing hotel ever”

I don’t have enough words to describe the awesomeness of this hotel. I found it by mistake, or I should say it was destiny because I felt like I belong there. The room was astonished – how many of you can say having sleep in the same room Clarice De’ Medici used back then? Just that should convince you to go and try it. The history and the architecture of the hotel are beyond word.

I was also fortunate enough to try their food – I’m pretty sure the ghost of Lorenzo De’ Medici descends upon me. It was so incredibly tasty I couldn’t help but felt like I was a lord for an ancient time. Everything in this hotel was fairy.

Included the staff! Especially Keith. If you’re reading this, Keith, I really want to thank you with all my heart. I may have found the hotel by accident, but if it wasn’t for you I probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy the experience at full – you were kind, helpful and a great owner, and very passionate when it comes to the villa’s history. A pleasure to hear you talking.

If any of you stop by, ask Keith about it – you won’t regret it.

Thank you again for gifting a lone traveler to a wonderful dream.

-

“He is really flirting.”

Pidge’s verdict aligns with the others.

They all are there, behind the reception desk, looking at the computer screen. Only Keith ignores them and pretends he’s organizing the reservations for the next week.

“You should reply to the review with Keith’s number,” Hunk suggests Allura, who, for a second, seems to consider the idea.

“He isn’t flirting,” Keith interrupts at last. “He got an incredible room for a ridiculous price and he was happy about it.”

“Dude. _Dude_.” Lance raises an eyebrow. “He let a review like ten minutes after leaving the hotel. And half of it praises you.”

“So? You get reviews all the time.”

“Not like this.”

“I agree with Lance here,” Pidge says. “He spoke directly at you. That’s something.”

Keith glares at her. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be involved in this?”

“I don’t wanna know about your sex life,” Pidge retorts, with a grin. “But this flirting through Tripadvisor is fun and I’m all for it.”

“What’s the matter?” Hunk asks. “You were the one flirting first.”

“I was not,” Keith grumbles. He turns his back at them. “And it doesn’t matter. He came here by accident; it’s not like we’re going to have him as a client anytime soon.”

Right?

-

“Hotel The Castle of Lion, I’m Keith. How may I help you?”

“Keith! I’m happy to find you there. Oh, I’m-”

“Mister Shirogane.” Keith feels the surprise in his own voice.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Many thanks for the review. We all appreciated it.”

“That was earned. You are wonderful.” He pauses. “Do you have a free room for tonight?”

“The Galra hotel lost your reservation again?”

“No, no. It’s just… After staying in your hotel, it’s kinda hard to return _there_.”

Understandable. Keith checks: they have a room available, but there’s no way he can sell it for sixty Euros again. Allura would kill him, and he won’t complain.

“I have, but the price is 120,00 Euros. I can’t lower more, I’m sorry.”

He hears the long sigh and almost regrets what he just said. Shirogane will refuse, and he will not come.

“Okay, I’ll take it. I’ll be here in half an hour.”

“The price isn’t higher than your company’s repayment?” Keith asks. He’s happy Shirogane accepted, but a part of him feels he had played him the first night.

“It is,” Shirogane confirms. “But I really want to stay at the Castle. I’ll pay the remaining amount by myself. After all, you made an exception once and I’m not going to take any more advantage.”

“I… see. I’m looking to welcome you, Mister Shirogane.”

“Please, call me Shiro.”

And so, Mister Shirogane – _Shiro_ – becomes another of their regular guests. Every single of them adore him, Allura included. Despite her initial mistrust, she even allows them to call him Shiro despite the etiquette of a five stars hotel. And, more importantly, she decides they can reserve a room for Shiro, and at the fixed price of 80,00 Euros.

“He only comes on Thursday. We can afford it,” she explains, trying to hide her preference behind the serious mask of the hotel manager.

Shiro is aware he’s getting the room at a ridiculous price and for this reason he only calls the same day of his arrival, so “if you sell the rooms before it’s fine, it’s your job after all”. They wonder if he will ever get suspicious about the fact that they always have a room available for him.

Keith is happy, as long as they can talk. And they talk a lot. Now that Shiro arrives at the hotel before dinner, he likes spending his evening at the reception desk, chatting with Keith. His eyes shine every time Keith manages to surprise him with new historical information, and they shine also when he gets to find some curiosity not even Keith is informed about.

Now Keith knows a lot about him.

Not married, nor children, he devotes his life to his work at the small publishing company. He’s an editor specialized in sci-fi narrative. The company has a small library in Pisa, where Shiro works on Wednesday morning. They never talk about Shiro’s arm, or his scar, and Shiro seems grateful by it. They usually avoid the argument ‘family’ too – Keith only knows that both his parents are Japanese and they lived in Italy since he was a child.

Shiro is a little bit of a nerd – he’s like a living encyclopedia about Star Trek – but he also loves history. He suggests Keith a lot of interesting sci-fi books and when they don’t talk about the new archeological exhibition Keith wants to see, they definitely discuss them.

But Keith isn’t delusional. He realizes having a regular guest that appreciates the company of the hotel staff and having someone flirting are two different things. And despite Hunk and Pidge and Lance merciless teasing, he doesn’t let his hope high.

He enjoys Shiro’s company until it lasts.

“I won’t come for the next three weeks,” Shiro announces at the middle of December. “Around Christmas, we decrease the editor’s work and focuses more on selling, so they won’t need me there.”

Keith looks with a little bit of sadness at the reservations they already made for him, just in case.

“I will return for the second week of January, of course,” Shiro hurries to assure him.

Still, three weeks without him are three weeks without him. But hey, Shiro has friends and family to spend holidays with, unlike Keith (his only family is composed by the hotel’s staff). So he pretends the hotel doesn’t host parties during holidays period because he doesn’t want hearing Shiro says no, thank you, I already have programs.

Luckily for him, Allura has fewer rejection problems.

She comes out of her office and, with a smile, she hands Shiro a bunch of flyers. “Can I invite you to our traditional celebrations? We have dinner for Christmas Eve, lunch for both the 25th and 26th and of course the dinner for New Year’s Eve,” she explains. “All the rooms are sold out, unfortunately, but we host people from outside too.”

Keith watches with fear and expectation as Shiro takes a look of the flyer.

“All the staff will be there,” Allura adds.

“Sounds great,” Shiro says. “I’m busy for Christmas, but can you sign me for New Year’s Eve?”

Something Keith does with a smile on his face.

-

Lance thinks it’s funny. Keith thinks he looks like an idiot.

He has glitters everywhere: on the face, in the hair, in the clothes, on his hand. But mostly in the face. He tries to rub them away, but the result is only moving them from one side to another of his cheeks.

Keith wants to die a little inside as he sees Shiro entering in the hotel.

“Lance’s idea,” he defends himself immediately, wondering just how much his face is shining, making him a walking lamp.

“It’s cute,” Shiro smiles. “Looks like you have the stars as freckles!” He realizes what he said a second later, and his entire face reddens. “I… I meant…”

“…thank you…” Keith manages to whisper.

Lance appears to free them of their embarrassment. “Shiro! Welcome! I’m so happy you join us. This year I and Pidge prepared something special for the party. Here, give me your coat.”

Coat that he promptly shoves into Keith’s arms, as he escorts Shiro to his table. Before hanging the coat in the closet, Keith follows Shiro with his gaze: without his usual working dress, he’s even more handsome. With a sigh, he put away the coat and returns to the door to welcome the other guests.

For the rest of the evening, he doesn’t have much time to speak with Shiro, having to serve the tables and help Hunk in the kitchen. Once the dinner finishes, Lance and Pidge set up a small stage for a sing contest of some sort and Keith takes a break. He leans against the wall next to the kitchen’s door, hoping no one will invite him for a dance. He watches Coran convincing Shiro to sing with him and smiles. He has a good voice.

Shiro joins Keith once the staff’s attention turns to other guests. He leans to the wall next to him and, for a while, none of them speaks, both focus on the dance starting at the center of the room.

“You didn’t get rid of the glitters,” Shiro comments, at last.

“Someone told me they look like stars, so…”

Shiro chuckles but doesn’t add anything. He’s still embarrassed about it.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yes, yes, of course. Hunk’s food was delicious, as usual. And the other guests are actually nice. I didn’t expect that.”

“It’s the magic of Christmas.” Keith laughs: he told Shiro too many stories about bad guests.

“I would like to be here for Christmas too.”

“You stayed with your family?”

Shiro nods. “We don’t get along very well, so… Next year I will have the perfect excuse to avoid it.” At Keith’s curious look, he adds, “my company will expand the library we have in Pisa, and I’ll be the manager. I’ll transfer there at the end of January, probably. As soon as I find an apartment to rent.”

“So you won’t be our guest anymore.” Keith knows he’s supposed to congratulate instead of complaining, but the news of him losing the only excuse he has to see Shiro is too much unexpected for him.

Worse New Years’ Eve ever.

“Maybe I can suggest the hotel to my own clients…” Shiro looks sad too.

“Would you like see something interesting?” Keith says suddenly.

“Oh. Sure.”

Keith gives a last look to the room: Allura is busy dancing with one of the guests to notice his absence. He gestures at Shiro to follow him as he enters the kitchen. They go out from an inside door.

Shiro gasps as Keith turns on the light.

“This is our canteen,” Keith explains. “But originally it was the villa’s chapel. The fresco shows stories from the old testament.”

“They are so beautiful.” Shiro walks next one of the walls, to look at them closer.

“Since the villa is private, we have no obligation but to maintain intact the works of art. That means our guests only see a small portion of what the villa is.”

“Thank you for showing me, then.”

They remain in the canteen the time necessary for Keith to explain every single story that composes the fresco, under Shiro’s delight look.

“Better return in the main hall before anyone notice I disappeared,” Keith says at last. It’s not like he wants to, especially considering this can be one of the last moment.

Shiro nods. He stops before leaving the canteen, Keith two steps in front of him. “Why did you give me the room for sixty Euros?”

Keith blinks. “That was the maximum amount of your refund, right?”

“Yes, but I accepted your first price. You shouldn’t have decreased it again.”

“I’m kind to guests.”

“So kind to all guests?” Shiro sounds almost offended.

“No,” Keith admits.

“Then why?”

Keith breaths hard. “I… tried to impress you. Maybe. A little bit.”

Shiro takes a relieved sigh. “Okay. Great. So I kinda… didn’t imagine things.” He rambles. “I mean, this is the first five stars hotel I went to and I don’t know, the receptionists at Galra Hotel are so bad I was thinking… maybe I get all wrong? Maybe that’s just how you act with guests, you know? And I wonder… Maybe a guest flirting put you in a difficult position and I never wanted…”

Shiro’s sputtering ends once Keith presses his lips on his. It takes a few minutes of shock for Shiro to answer back. His hands clasp on Keith’s back, the fingers dig in the red shirt. Shiro closes his eyes, Keith doesn’t. He looks at how Shiro’s cheek flushes red and how his hair moving during the kiss.

When they pull apart, Keith licks his lips to assure himself he didn’t imagine it.

“In a month you won’t be our guest anymore, so there’s no problem in flirting.”

“Good to know.” Shiro’s still a little bit overwhelming. “Do we have to return to the main hall?”

“It’s almost midnight. We’ll lose the toast for the new year and also Pidge prepared some fireworks for…” More he looks at Shiro, more he realizes Shiro in some way already set his mind. “Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know…”

“My room is upstairs. And it has fresco too. Would you like to see them?”

Shiro smiles, his eyes shine. “I’d love to.”

Best start of the New Year ever.

-

Tripadvisor.com

The Castle of Lion Hotel – 1st of 55 hotels around Pisa

User: taujeriens (108 reviews until now)

Review left 1nd January

1/5 stars

“Unacceptable!”

I’m shocked. I was there for the New Year’s Eve Party and… ugh. Guests shouldn’t take the lift only to find two people making out inside. That’s gross! And one of them was a member of the staff, and his shirt was almost fully opened! He didn’t even notice us or apologize for showing us such a disgusting show.

A hotel that claims to be a five stars shouldn’t allow such inappropriate behavior for people of their staff!


End file.
